Commonly encountered problems, such as insufficient bearing capacity of the foundation and significant soil deformation, typically necessitate improvements to sandy soil. The excessive use of traditional soil improvement materials, such as cement and lime, causes irreversible damage to the ecological environment. As a sustainable soil reinforcement material, xanthan gum has broad application prospects with respect to its effects on the bearing capacity and deformation of sandy soil foundations. In this study, scanning electron microscope tests and cone penetration model tests based on particle image velocimetry technology were conducted to investigate the microstructure, mechanical behavior, and deformation characteristics around cones in sand treated with different xanthan gum rates. The test results show that the xanthan gum exerts cementation and filling effects between sand particles, enhanced the bearing capacity of sand. The displacement field around the cones in xanthan gum-treated sand during the penetration exhibits good symmetry. With increasing xanthan gum rate, the maximum displacement value and vertical influence range around the cone of xanthan gum-treated sand decrease, while the horizontal influence range increases. On the basis of the cone penetration test result, a predictive model for the vertical bearing capacity incorporating the xanthan gum rate is proposed using the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chauss & eacute;es (LCPC) model. The research results can provide a scientific basis for using xanthan gum when designing and constructing sandy soil foundations.

The alkali-activated composites technique is a promising method for the in situ preparation of cavity filling/grouting materials from engineering waste soil. To investigate the feasibility of engineering waste soil utilization by the alkali activation process, the macroscopic and microscopic properties of the fly ash/slag-based alkali-activated composites, after solidification/stabilization (S/S) with sandy clay excavated at Baishitang Station of Shenzhen Metro, were studied. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test was conducted to evaluate the S/S effect of alkali-activated composites. The results show that the optimum quality ratio of slag and fly ash correspond to 7:3, the modulus of alkaline activator to 1.3, and the alkalinity of alkaline activator to 10%. The alkali-activated composite's strength under these parameters can reach 45.25 MPa at 3 days, 49.85 MPa at 7 days, and 62.33 MPa at 28 days. A maximum 3-day UCS of 21.71 MPa, 75% of the 28-day UCS, was achieved by an engineering waste soil and alkali-activated composites mass ratio of 5:5, slaked lime content of 4.5%, and a water-to-solid ratio of 0.26, and it can also meet the required fluidity and setting time for construction well. Fluidity is primarily affected by the soil-to-binder ratio, which decreases as the ratio decreases, while the water-to-solid ratio increases fluidity. Slaked lime has minimal impact on fluidity. The setting time is mainly influenced by the soil-to-binder ratio, followed by slaked lime content and water-to-solid ratio, with setting time shortening as the soil-to-binder ratio and slaked lime content increase, and lengthening as the water-to-solid ratio increases. Through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) tests, microscopic analysis showed that loose granular units are firmly cemented by alkali-activated composites. Based on the results of on-site grouting tests in karst caves, the alkali-activated grout materials reached a strength of 5.2 MPa 28 days after filling, which is 162.5% of the strength of cement grouting material, satisfying most of the requirements for cavity filling in Shenzhen.